Avianca Colombia and the Boeing 707/720

Avianca is the oldest operating airline in the Western Hemisphere and in the 1960s, replaced its Lockheed Constellations with the Boeing 707/720 on its international routes.

Avianca is the oldest airline in the Western Hemisphere and second only to KLM as the oldest operating in the world. Avianca was established as Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos or SCADTA in 1919. SCADTA flew its first international services to the United States in the 1920s. In 1940, SCADTA merged with another local operator to become Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. or Avianca. Operating with DC-4s, in 1951 the airline acquired Lockheed Constellations and Super Constellations for its international services. The premier "El Colombiano" Super Constellation services connected Bogota with New York.

In 1960 with the assistance of Pan American, Avianca got its first Boeing 707s and over the course of the Sixties, a mixed fleet of 707s and 720Bs replaced the Connie fleet on the airline's international services.

The commonality between the 707 and 720B allowed Avianca network flexibility much in the same way they used their Constellations and Super Constellations. Avianca marketed their international services as the "Red Ruana" service- their flight attendants wore distinctive red ruanas (a traditional South American cape) with their uniforms.

The first 707 was a 707-120 leased from Pan Am 1960-1961. Seven 720Bs were flown 1961-1984 and eight 707-320Cs were flown 1968-1994. One 707 was lost, Avianca 52 in 1990 in NYC.